Commodore Aviation, the overhaul subsidiary of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), is expected to complete a deal acquiring the troubled SabreTech's maintenance operation at Miami International Airport within the next two weeks.
The IAI unit, which is based at Miami International, will move into SabreTech's much larger site after the deal closes. The price of the SabreTech's asset purchase is unknown.
Commodore, which had sales of $35 million in 1996, expects to earn as much as $45 million this year. It had concentrated on South American contracts, but two years ago it began a push to win more maintenance work from US airlines.
SabreTech, a Sabreliner subsidiary, closed its Miami repair station on 15 January when it gave up its US Federal Aviation Administration operating certificate. ValuJet's former maintenance contractor, SabreTech, is alleged to have played a significant role in the 11 May 1996 crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades.
Source: Flight International
